Choosing to Return to the Beginnings of Your Dream

@bethvogt

My goal was simple: Sort through a stack of papers that needed to be filed.

I never expected to return to the beginnings of a dream.

A white restaurant napkin scribbled on both sides with words written in black ink and protected by a plastic page protector was slipped among the workshop notes and conference brochures and book contracts and royalty statements.

A napkin full of notes represents the beginning of a dream?

Yes, yes, it does. Dreams can have peculiar beginnings.

I was that little girl who loved words and books and English assignments. Who dreamed of being a writer. But I didn’t dream of writing happily-ever-afters – maybe because, for a long season in my life, I didn’t believe in them.

When I embarked on the writing road in college, I chose journalism – nonfiction writing and editing. Years later, God used a season of burnout to transition me to writing fiction.

I had a lot to learn about writing novels. Any kind of dream, my friends, is hard work.

What does a white napkin filled with a bunch of scribbles have to do with my late-blooming dream of writing fiction?

I brought those notes back from my first fiction writers retreat, the product of a writing exercise where a bunch of wannabe-writers brainstormed our manuscripts’ opening sentences while we ate dinner.

Accomplishing that exercise? It was the first time I thought, “I can do this.”

Writing a good first sentence was hard. The thought of writing the entire novel scared me. I’d arrived that weekend with a 40-thousand-word manuscript. I went home and, based on the feedback I’d received, tore my story apart. My word count was smaller. My challenge loomed larger.

That flimsy white napkin reminded me I could do this.

Here I am, years later, a published author. To be honest, 2020 hasn’t been the easiest writing year for me. While I published my 13th book in May, I’ve wrestled with my writing dream. At times I’ve doubted it.

Finding the napkin among that sloppy pile of papers reminded me there’s no expiration date on the “it’s gonna’ be hard” clause when you pursue a dream. That I can do this writing gig, even if I’m not exactly sure how to do it today. I can take it one day at a time and do what I know to do now, while I pray and ponder over what to do next.

What about you? Does your dream seem too hard?

Find a way to go back to the beginnings of your dream. Remember some of the hard things you conquered way back then. Whatever you’re facing today, you can stare down the hard again. Give yourself time. And don’t be afraid to seek the encouragement of those you trust – those who’ve walked with you as you’ve pursued your dream.

Choosing to Return to the Beginnings of Your Dream https://bit.ly/3doUq5C #dreams #encouragement
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'When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work ...
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